Iconic Black Designers: Art Smith

Happy Black History Month!!! This is our favorite time of the year to blog, a time that we dedicate to researching and writing about iconic Black Americans. This year we are sharing with you Black designers. As designers ourselves, we are always looking to the past for inspiration and this was the perfect time to do some digging to find people who inspire us with our own craft. We hope you enjoy this series and learn something new this month.

Art Smith (1917-1982)

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Art Smith was one of the leading modernist jewelers of the mid-twentieth century, and one of the only Afro-Caribbean people working in his field. Smith was born in Cuba to Jamaican parents and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He studied sculpture at Cooper Union and trained under Winifred Mason.

"A piece of jewelry is in a sense an object that is not complete in itself. Jewelry is a ‘what is it?’ until you relate it to the body. The body is a component in design just as air and space are. Like line, form, and color, the body is a material to work with. It is one of the basic inspirations in creating form." ~Art Smith

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Smith's work was inspired by surrealism, biomorphicism, and primitivism , the pieces were dynamic in size and form. Although the pieces were massive in scale, they remained lightweight and wearable.  Smith designed cuff links for  Duke Ellington and a brooch for Eleanor Roosevelt.  During the 1950's, his work was featured in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.  You could find him with the likes of Lena Horne, Harry Belafonte, and  James Baldwin. He also owned his own shop in Greenwich Village for 30 years.

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Until 2009, the Brooklyn Museum had an exhibition called From the Village to Vogue, where 21 pieces of the modernist jewelry was on display. All of the pieces were sterling silver and because of their grand size, they could hang on a wall just as easily as they could be worn. 

Photo Credit

Photo Credit

Smith passed away in 1982 and his estate went to his sister, and then later was passed to his partner, Charles Russel, who donated it to the Brooklyn Museum. I'm so sad that I missed the exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum by a few years, but there is so much information on the web and images of his jewelry. Hopefully, I can catch an exhibit soon. In the meanwhile, if you want to learn more about Art Smith you can check out an article here.

Thank you Mr. Smith for your crafstmanship to the field of jewelry design. Your work is truly an inspiration and your legacy continues to live on.

Be Blessed! Be Free! Be Fashionable!

 ~Chris

This Month's Obsession

This Month's Obsession!!!

Often I see a trend or an accessory that takes over my mind. I see it, I fall in love with it and then I obsess about it. Once the feeling hits me, I go into research mode then I must have it, so I buy it. Then I buy it again in three more colors or variations in styles. Yes, if I love it then I need to have many options; soon after, I have moved on to a new love. Today my obsession is... 


Identity Pendants!!!

In case you are asking, "What is an identity pendant?". Well, for me it is anything that speaks to who you are from a factual stand point. In other words, personalized jewelry.  We have been sporting initial monogram necklaces and other accessories for a while now. Carrie Bradshaw, brought back the name pendants that we wore in the 80s and 90s.  People are buying more birthstone jewelry. Now I am noticing a growing popularity in wearing the state that you live in or love around your neck. It showed up around 2013 but now you find these state necklaces everywhere you go.
I love all of these things and lately I have been wearing less statement pieces and my identity pieces have become my go to pieces. They may be simple but simple can be elegant. They are easy to wear with anything from denim to dressy. Check out some of my favorite looks and learn a few things about me.

 
You know my first name is Kristin and that I live in Ohio from reading the blog. A few things you may not already know that you should gather from these pendants, my middle initial is N and I was born in Florida.  I fly two state flags, so I had to represent both Ohio and Florida. How fun, right?

Get the Look!!! Kris Picks!!!

I am all about supporting the etsy community so all of my selections come from Etsy and from United States sellers . I have decided to feature the best shops instead of individual pieces. I am a little jealous because the cuts of some of these items are so much better than my pieces. I wish I would have found these shops when I was shopping for my pendants. 

State pendants are perfectly cut, even the curviest of states at Ivy By Design.

The shop also carries country pendants and monogram necklaces.

Monogram necklaces come in a few sizes but I love the 2'' extra large that is offered at Personalize Me Jewelry. The sterling silver pendant is sold with your choice of chain length from 14 to 35". They also sale personalized name necklaces in sterling silver and sterling with 18kt gold plating.  My mom bought my necklace for Christmas in 2013 from this shop.

If  you are looking for something with a little more color, Sassy Southern Gals has fun acrylic monogram necklaces with different pattern options and three options for chain material.  You can also shop colorful patterned monogram bracelets and earrings.

For a truely personalized necklace, you can have you own hand writing turned into a necklace at Mackenzie Treasury.  This is a great idea for a late Mother's Day gift. The shop can do a message or  it would be cool to have a name pendant in your signature, that is if it's legible.

Remember when everyone was wearing dog tags? I still love these things but I have no idea where mine went. I think I may want to revisit these but class it up in sterling silver.  

Hearts of Silver allows you to choose from six different fonts and the dog tag pendant comes with a sterling 24'' beaded chain.

We have seen celebs rocking personalized items on reruns of Sex And the City and weekly on the Wendy Williams Show. I have admired the state pendants since I first saw Eva Longoria wearing her Texas pendants a couple years ago. She must really love her state because she has been seen wearing more than one style of Texas pendant. These pendants are really fun pieces and they are items that we will probably wear for a long time because they aren't just about style or trends, they are about us. 

Until next time,

Be blessed! Be free! Be fashionable!

Kris,

photo credits: theinbetweengirls.com, theroot.com & myfashionjuice.com